RPAS Application and

Research Activities in Lithuania

Antanas Gustaitis Aviation Institute
Deputy Director,
Dr. Darius Rudinskas
9/29/2015

Content

RPAS Applications;
RPAS Research Activities;
Future air navigation system: sharing HNIT-Baltic
and Lithuania Unmanned Aircraft Operators
Association (LBONA) practice.

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RPAS Application and Research Activities in Lithuania

RPAS Applications
Very high resolution aerial photography
2015/02 Trakai Castle

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RPAS Application and Research Activities in Lithuania

RPAS Applications
Vasaknos (Zaras raj.)
2014

Very high resolution aerial photography

2014 2015 m. period (Zarasai distr.)
Vasakn Islands fishing pond movement
monitoring

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RPAS Application and Research Activities in Lithuania

RPAS Applications
UAV place in to the system of
agrarian technology

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RPAS Application and Research Activities in Lithuania

RPAS Applications
Analysis of landed property with UAV applicable in several technological

directions:

A.To use photographic in

visible spectrum.

B. To use photographic
in normal infrared
spectrum.

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RPAS Application and Research Activities in Lithuania

RPAS Applications
Potencial analysis of landed property using UAV:
1.Fundamental (basic) analysis of agrarian landed property:
Purpose: Formation of particular territory soil surface picture (soil type
indentification).
Periodicity: often one-time, rarely two or three- time periods.
Result: It is fundamental basis, determinative tipe of household,
intensivity and valids complex of economical tools.

2. Diagnostic analysis of agrarian landed property

Purpose: Getting operational information about feature on landed
property.
Periodicity: Often multiplex short-time or long-time analysis, rarely onetime analysis.
Result: It is operational data on landed property (soil surface, biological
production) condition and its qualitative variation in analysing area.

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RPAS Application and Research Activities in Lithuania

RPAS Applications
Comparison of applicable crop survey methods

2014.10.09
2014.10.21 Tabokins k. Birai distr.

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Tabokins k. Birai distr.

RPAS Application and Research Activities in Lithuania

RPAS Applications
Simple assessment of natural fauna spoliation in the croplands

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RPAS Application and Research Activities in Lithuania

RPAS Applications
Detailed assessment of natural fauna spoliation in the croplands

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RPAS Applications
Identification of melioration system and fixing condition (Kaiadoriai distr. (2015

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RPAS Application and Research Activities in Lithuania

04)

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RPAS Research Activities

UAV control process analysis
Design of UAV
guidance and control
algorithm and
analysis;

Hardware in the loop

,
,

Prie skryd
nustatyti takai
ir neskraidymo
zonos
,

Stebjimo
modulis

Sugedusios pavaros
nuokrypis

FDI
sistema

Pavaros gedimo tikimyb

Skrydio metu
nustatytos
neskraidymo
zonos

Valdymo

sistema

_
_

Valdiklis

Valdymo
paskirstymas

Design of UAV
integrated system
health management
methods;

Orlaivis

UAV HIL testing;

12.46

Apdorojimas jungtiniu Kalmano filtru

12.44
12.42

Flight tests;
Post flight analysis.
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Greitis, m/s

12.4
12.38
vGPS

12.36

vPitot
vBJ

12.34

vjungtinis

12.32
12.3
12.28
12.26
0

100

200

300

400

Laikas, s

500

RPAS Application and Research Activities in Lithuania

600

700

800

12

RPAS Research Activities

Aerodynamic design of high performance UAV
UAV airfoils characteristics (XFOIL,
RFOIL, MSES, Eppler-program)
UAV wing and plane 3-D configuration
(PSW, KK-Aero, XFLR5)
UAV stability and control (VLA)
Aerodynamic, structural, and controlresponse analysis
of aircraft with flexible wings and
fuselages (ASWING)

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RPAS Application and Research Activities in Lithuania

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RPAS Research Activities

Air Traffic Control Simulator

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RPAS Research Activities

Kyviks airfield

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RPAS Research Activities

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Future air navigation system:

sharing HNIT-Baltic and Lithuania
Unmanned Aircraft Operators
Association (LBONA) practice
Audrius Kryanauskas (HNIT-Baltic)
Antanas Gedvilas (LBONA)

HNIT-Baltic and LBONA

HNIT-Baltic IT company, provides geospatial solutions.
LBONA Lithuanian Unmanned Aircraft Users
Association. Coordinating, licensing, certifying,
consulting pilots.

We united our experience for drone real-time

tracking experiment

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Regulations and restrictions to drones

Unmanned aircraft in Lithuania must be used in

accordance with rules on the use of unmanned aircraft,
approved by the Director of Civil Aviation Administration in
23 January 2014.
www.nydaylynews.com

There are restrictons in the rules, that are applied to all

drones

There are restrictions, based on specific place

Over 400 feet (~ 120 meters) flight is prohibited

Flight must be made in visible zone, not further than 1000
from drone operator
Airports
Obstacles

Some zones are restricted by local municipalities

Dangerous objects
Harazdous materials
Prisons
...

In order to fly in restricted zone, drone operator

must obtain permission from Civil Aviation
Administration
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Future
Civil Aviation Administration investigating possibilities
to track drones outside visible range of the flight
To control situation in the sky (Civil Aviation
Administration)
Drone must be tracked during the flight, declaring
its position to Civil Aviation Administration
Permission to flight if such function is implemented
To avoid crossing of restricted zones and inform
users
To control own drones
To find lost drone
Best currently available network for signal
transmission is GSM
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The Problem
Real-time drone tracking (near real time) is needed
Drone must be tracked during the flight and
coordinates transmitted to independent central
organization (CAA)

This is not usual tracking system

Information must be sent to data center at regular
time interval. Usual tracking systems are sending
position via SMS on demand.
SMS is not acceptable, because required tracking
interval is 1-5 seconds.

Size and weight of tracking device. It influences size

of drone.
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Tracking alternative: ADS-B

Automatic dependent surveillance
broadcast (ADSB) is a cooperative surveillance
technology in which an aircraft determines its
position via satellite navigation and periodically
broadcasts it, enabling it to be tracked.

CurrentADSBcoverageat30000feetaltitude

CurrentADSBcoverageat5000feetaltitude

Benefits

This is standard way how flying wehicles are tracked

without radars. Currently used in big commercial planes.
This is expanding technology. 2020 ADS-B will be
mandatory in USA and Europe:

(June 7, 2020) All existing aircraft weighing greater than 5,700 kg

(12,500 lbs.) or having max cruise speed greater than 250 kts TAS in
European airspace need ADS-B 1090ES Out with diversity.
(December 31, 2019) All aircraft Operating in Class A, B, C airspace,
Class E above 10,000 feet MSL and airspace identified in Part 91
Appendix D require ADS-B Out. (Aircraft certified without an electrical
system are exempt.)

Source:http://flightaware.com/adsb/coverage

Limitations
Transponders size, weight. Currently available smallest ADS-B
transponder is 3.5 x 1.8 x 0.7, weights 100 grams without GPS
receiver
Transponders price >$2000
Theres no required infrastructure receiver antennas (drones flying at
height about 100m a lot of antennas needed)

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Tracking alternative
Drone > base > data center

Sending GPS coordinates to base station where operator resides,

then resending coordinates to CAA center using mobile networks

Benefits
Some drones are already equipped with GPS and radio
transponders, sending signal to base station. Signal might be
transmitted to CAA center from base station

Limitations
Additionallytostandartsoftwareinbasestationthereare
neededadditionalmodulesforcoordinatetransmissionto
center.Inmostcasesimpossibletodecodeprotocolsusedfor
communicationbetweendroneandbase
Transpondersondroneandinbaseneeded(additional
infrastructure)
Drone willbelost incaseofsignalbreakdownbetweendrone
andstation.
Thereisadditionaldelayforsendingcoordinatesfromdroneto
basestation

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RPAS Application and Research Activities in Lithuania

Decode and
send
coordinates

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Tracking alternative:
Drone > data center

Sending GPS coordinates from drone directly to independent center

(Civil Aviation administration), using mobile networks

Benefits
Smartphones as transponders might be used
Ready to use mobile network infrastructure
Independent from drone operator

Limitations
GSM device on the drone additional weight
Weight of smartphone there are unused parts and sensors
Flying to high may influence loss of GSM coverage, because
the most GSM antennas are oriented to the ground
Image:www.cellularexpert.com

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The experiment on the field

Drone controlled using 2,4 GHz radio control system

Real time coordinates from drone sent using GSM network to server. In this
case smartphone as signal transponder was used (integrated GPS, TCP/IP
support), but it weights 116g and is not acceptable for small drones.
GIS Server analyzes coordinates according to restrictions
Position and warnings are shown on the map
SendingGPScoordinates

Drone

Video,flightparameters

GSMnetwork
Basestation

GISserver+
GeoEventprocessor
Collectingand
analysingcoordinates
Map with droneposition and
warnings

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Realtimevideo and parameters

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Tracking infrastructure
Drone Kolibris (constructed by A.Gedvilas

length:150cm, width: 180cm, weight: 2 kg). Equiped

with camera, telemetric sensors.

Mobile phone (Samsung Galaxy S2, weight:

116g). Sending coordinates using UDP protocol every

2 seconds

Bite GSM mobile network (2G for sending

coordinates, 3G for live map application)

ArcGIS Server with GeoEvent

processor extension receives signal,
analyzes coordinates
Map Application displaying drone
position and warnings in real time
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Processing coordinates

ArcGIS Server
Storing GIS data restricted zones
Collecting coordinates
Displaying map application

Server extension GeoEvent processor

Analysing coordinates
Fixing critical events (flight limitation, crossing restricted zone)
Sending warning information to server and displaying on the map

Height warning
Inputdrone
coordinates

Approaching restricted zone

Positiononthe
map&warnings

Crossing restricted zone

Leaving visiblerange
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Result

Map with current drone position

Available as internet site (internet application) on the field
Availability to watch own drone and to view drone position for administering organization
Real time warnings
Approaching flight limitation zone
Crossing restricted site
Reaching flight height limit

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Video of field experiment

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Thank you for your attention

Dr. Darius Rudinskas

IT company, provides
geospatial solutions
VILNIUS UNIVERSITY
(Department of Geography
and Land Management)
Lithuania Unmanned Aircraft
Operators Association
(LBONA)
9/29/2015

Audrius Kryanauskas

Phd Riardas Skorupskas

Antanas Gedvilas

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